Hell Hath No Fury - Book One

No Interference

They returned from the beach and into town as the sun was setting. They had said goodbye to Pika on the trek back from the beach, just briefly because she was so busy, and Theo alerted the crew that was in there to start heading back soon. There was a nightly curfew imposed and Theo wanted to get going long before it was that time. At the beach, though, they didn't end up going into the water any further than their knees. Ava had let her know she couldn't go in.

"I know you can't swim. I'll take care of you," Theo had said as she peeled off her shirt to not get it wet. She would just have to swim in her undershirt.

"That's not it," Ava chuckled, "I, uh, don't have anything under this so I would be soaked on the way back."

"You mean to tell me you are wearing no underwear?" Theo raised an amused eyebrow.

Ava crossed her arms in front of her chest and shrugged, "Aye, so what?"

"Why?"

"It's freeing."

"Justifiable," Theo laughed and she resigned to just splashing around ankle-deep in the water.

They sat in the sun, lounging and lazing around until late in the aftermorning, which is when they started to head back. They took the same route as before, passing through the large industrial farms that littered the landscape. They walked through dirt and gravel and through well-laid paths until they got to the city. Theo recognized some of the women out and about as her crew and reminded each one that she passed that they would be embarking to the next destination soon.

Theo had decided to cut behind the spread out buildings on the main road, it was a slightly faster way to get to the port that way. Taking the alleyways behind buildings was a direct line to their ship and not a winding path down to the docks. As they approached the middle of their trek through the city, two figures emerged into their line of sight. Theo slowed her pace and Ava matched her. They were still several hundred feet away and Theo could barely make out what was happening but she was careful as they got closer.

Theo began to hear shouting as they got closer and Ava began to run towards it. Theo reached out and grabbed Ava's coat and tugged her back then held her in place. Ava looked back at Theo, indigent. Theo shook her head and put a finger to her lips. Theo walked them closer to the backs of the buildings and away from the long alley path. As they got closer, the scene was clear.

There was an old man surrounded by scattered fruit and a large basket tipped over. Above the older man was a guard dressed in the typical army uniform. This soldier, like many of the ones that engaged in abuse, was Eloxian. Theo watched as the soldier brought down a baton on the poor man's back. The elder was already hunched over in pain, his screams shattered Theo's heart. Her first instinct was to run toward the scene and help but it was futile to intervene without escalating everything. Theo grabbed Ava's hand and pulled her to the side of a building, out of sight.

Ava tried to pull away from the iron tight grip Theo had on her wrist, "We've got to go help, Theo."

Ava looked distressed as if the screams had shaken her to her core. She tugged against her captor in an attempt to help the elderly man.

"We can't help," Theo tried pulling her back, closer and closer to the main road so they could distance themselves. If they were caught, the consequences to witnessing the beating was bad. The Eloxian soldier would make sure there were no witnesses and Theo would be forced to strike the soldier down. A dead Eloxian was the last thing Alenroux needed.

"Theo, let me go!" Ava tried to pull harder and managed to drag them towards the edge of the building again, threatening to expose them.

The reason that this entire town crumbled to the ground couldn't because she couldn't control her new recruit. Theo roughly grabbed Ava and pushed her against the wall, one arm coming across her chest to keep her pinned and another hand coming up to cover Ava's mouth. Ava's eyes went wide at the sudden aggression and Theo felt Ava's heart beating hard against her arm and they kept their position for a few more minutes. Once the noises had died down Theo slowly released Ava and the scowl was prominent on the redhead's face.